Handle covering for clothes hangers



Nov. 26, 1963 R. F. EASON 3,112,050

HANDLE COVERING FOR CLOTHES HANGERS Filed Feb. 13, 1961 INVENTOR. fiasEerjflivsa/v United States Patent No. 88,830 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a new and novel handle covering for clothes hangers.

Conventional clothes hangers having a wire handle do not properly support garments on a clothes pole or other horizontal supporting member. The handles tend to jam together and the garments supported by the hangers become wrinkled and disarranged. The hanger handles often turn in diverse directions resulting in an annoying entanglement between adjoining hangers. In removing a garment from a hanger the further annoyance of accidental displacement of said hanger or of adjacent unoccupied hangers frequently occurs. The conventional wire handles also tend to scrape and scratch the finish of the clothes pole whereon they are supported.

It is a major object of the present invention to provide a handle covering for the wire handle of a clothes hanger so as to obviate the above set forth disadvantages.

An added object of the present invention is to provide a comfortable, warm and attractive handle covering for a clothes hanger to facilitate transporting clothing by means of such hanger.

Another object is to provide a device of the aforedescribed nature which enhances the appearance of the hanger Whereon it is utilized, such appearance normally being unattractive.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a device of the aforedescribed nature which afiords a quick means of identifying the clothing supported by the hanger as to size, ownership or the like.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the aforedescribed nature which may be readily applied to the hanger whereon it is utilized.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the aforedescribed nature which is economical of manufacture.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following de tailed description when taken in conjunctiou wit-h the appended drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View showing a preferred form of handle covering for clothes hangers as applied to a plurality of such hangers;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the hangers of FIGURE 1 as they appear When disposed upon a supporting clothes pole;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken through the center of a handle covering device embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but showing said covering device without a wire handle therein;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view showing a second form of handle covering device embodying the present invention; and

FIGURE 7 is a broken perspective view showing a third form of handle covering device embodying the present invention.

Referring to the drawings and particularly FIGURES 1 through 4 thereof, there is shown a preferred form of handle covering device S embodying the present invention. The device S takes the form of a one-piece hollow extrusion made from a suitable, flexible synthetic plastic material, such as polyethylene. Preferably the hollow strip S will be extruded in a conventional manner. As indicated in FIGURE 4, the strip S includes a pair of side Long Beach 8, Calif.

3,112,050 Patented Nov. 26, 1963 walls 10 and 14 having their ends integrally joined by end walls 16 and 18. In this manner, the side and end walls define a longitudinal bore 20 that is expandable solely in a sidewise direction relative to the strip S.

The bore 20 is received by the curved hooked handle 22 of a conventional wire clothes hanger H. The clothes hanger H includes a twisted wire portion 24 at the lower part of the handle 22. The bore 20 of the strip S should be so dimensioned that it will readily slip over any gage of handle 22 normally utilized in the conventional clothes hanger H. Additionally, it should be adequate to be received by at least the upper portion of the twisted wire portion 24 of the clothes hanger. 'Ilhe fit between the bore 20 and the handle 22 should be sufliciently snug that once the strip S has been urged over and around the handle 22 and the upper part of the twisted wire portion 24 such strip will be frictionally retained upon said handle. Preferably, as indicated in FIGURES 4 and 5, the midportion of one of the end walls 14 is formed with a locating groove 25 for the handle 22.

Referring to FIGURE 1, with the strip S in place on its respective hanger H one or more of such hangers may be safely and conveniently received by the fingers of a user to thereby transport the clothes-bearing hangers. The presence of the strip S on the handle 22 prevents such handle from cutting into the users fingers and moreover affords a comfortable and warm feeling to the touch. When the hangers H have been placed on the clothes pole 30, the strips S will insure properly spaced disposition of the adjoining handles. Accordingly, adjacent hangers and/ or the clothes supported thereby will not become entangled. Moreover, the hangers H may be readily slid along the clothes pole 30 Without scraping or scratching the finish of such clothes pole. There is no possibility of garment disarrangement that is universally found in connection with the use of conventional wire clothes hangers. The annoyance of hangers being accidentally kocked to the floor is substantially eliminated.

It should be particularly noted that the utilization of the handle covering strip S can greatly enhance the appearance of the clothes hanger H. These strips may be molded in various aesthetically pleasing colors. In this man ner, the normally unattractive appearance of the clothes hangers H can be greatly improved.

Referring now to FIGURE 6, there is shown a second form of handle covering strip S embodying the present invention. The strip S is generally similar to the aforedescribed strip S except that a pair of reinforcement webs 34 and 3-6 extend longitudinally between the side walls 10' and 14'. Additionally, these side walls are formed with longitudinally extending, arcuate locating grooves 36 and 38 for receiving the handle 22 of the hanger H with which the strip S is to be utilized.

With further reference to FIGURE 6, it should be particularly observed that suitable indicia 40' may be suitably aifixed to the top surface of the strip S. The indicia may conveniently take the form of an advertising legend. In this manner dry cleaners, laundries or other establishments may be provided with inexpensive advertising means not available with a conventional wire clothes hanger per se. Moreover, since the handle covering strip is adapted to remain upon its respective clothes hanger for the life of both the hanger and the strip, this advertising may be employed over a long period of time. In other cases, the indicia 39 may be utilized to identify the cloth- Referring now to FIGURE 7, there is shown a third form of handle covering strip S" embodying the present invention. The strip S includes a main lower side wall 40 which may be of greater thickness than the top side wall 42. The ends of the walls 40 and 42 are integrally interconnected by solid end walls 44 and 46. The midportion of the lower side wall 40 is formed with a pair of raised ribs 43 defining a locating groove 50 for the hanger handle 22.

It should be particularly observed that each of the forms of handle covering strip described hereinabove may be economically extruded in a continuous manner and thereafter cut-off to the proper length.

Various modifications and changes may be made with respect to the foregoing description without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

A handle covering for a wire coat hanger having a curved hooked handle and a twisted wire portion at the lower part of said handle, comprising: an integral hollow spacer strip of synthetic, flexible plastic material having a pair of relatively fiat side Walls the ends of which are joined by a pair of end walls and said side walls being of a width substantially greater than the width of said wire, said Walls refining 1Z1 longitudinal, rectangular bore that is adapted to receive said handle, said side walls being expandahle in a sidewise direction relative to said strip and with at least one of said side walls being formed with a locating groove that is engageable by said handle, with said covering being adapted to be snugly received by said handle whereby said strip may be frictionally retained upon said handle, said strip being maintained centered relative to said handle by the engagement of said handle and said locating groove, said covering being applied to said handle by urging one end of said covering along said handle from the free end thereof downwardly until the portion of said covering that first engages said handle is disposed over said twisted wire portion, with said strip serving to space said hanger from other like hangers and coverings when said hanger is supported on a clothes pole with said like hangers and coverings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,245,126 Day June 10, 1941 2,430,112 Harnre Nov. 4, 1947 2,629,953 Von Stackerberg Mar. 3, 1953 2,810,226 Horwith Oct. 22, 1957 2,820,274 Ballentine J an. 21, 1958 2,878,978 Glowk-a Mar. 24, 1959 2,910,215 Auten Oct. 27, 1959 3,024,953 OKeefe Mar. 13, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,095,207 France Dec. 15, 1954 

